The 90s and Beyond
Narek and Arman (son of Robert Kocharyan, an original member of "Angin Qarer"), friends since birth, grew up in Gyumri in the creative environment built by their fathers and community . They picked up the guitar and bass at a very young age. They met Arik when they were nine years old, and their trio began jamming and performing on their own. In 1999-2000 they travelled to Los Angeles and New York, and even recorded an album (never released) in California but had to return to Armenia, and school. Ashot Korganyan joined them on drums in 2001. As the boys grew up in Gyumri they became better musicians and started playing more and more. The four-piece returned to Los Angeles in 2007, and Ashot left the band upon their return. That same year, the now trio travelled to Shoushi in Nagorno Kharabagh for a music festival and Narek, Arman, and Arik met Vardan- he had come from Vanadzor in the Lori region to play with a friend’s band, and the boys from Gyumri knew he was just the drummer they were looking for.
The band’s notoriety grew as they finished university and continued to gig, and they started to attract international attention. They played in Moscow, Paris, Istanbul, Beirut, Georgia, and all over Armenia, placing third in 2010's Eurovoice Competition. They made the decision to make a go of breaking into the European market, and moved to Dublin in January 2012. Their incredible musicianship and intense energy on-stage made them stand out immediately, and it wasn’t long before they were booked for festivals like KnockanStockan, No Place Like Dome, Body&Soul, and Electric Picnic, as well as special events like launches and Tower Records' 19th birthday . They became known for their relentless gigging, sometimes playing 3 shows/night- their final performances in Dublin, 2012 were on Arthur's Day when they played 3 times in The Mercantile, The Stag's Head, and The Sweeney Mongrel . State (magazine) called them "Ireland's hairiest and hardest working band," featuring them as part of their 2012 Electric Picnic coverage . They appeared on Near FM, Radio Nova 100FM (Ireland), Dublin City FM, and WDAR. While much of their live sets in Ireland are in English, they continue to perform and write songs in the Armenian language as well. The band has recorded with international musicians like Dietmar Bonnen.
The band is set to release an EP in 2013, and have 3 tracks currently available on bandcamp ("Urbane/Urban", "Beezzy," "That's Fine With Us"). Their music videos and footage from their live shows in Ireland and Armenia can be found on youtube.
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